Galvanic cell



-C. A. R. GRAAMANS.

GALVANIC CELL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 25. 1917.

Patented May 18, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEVET 1.

C.'A. R. GRAAMANS.

GALVANIC CELL. APPLICATION FILED JULY 25, 1911.

.1,340,2 22.- Patented May 18,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I i v n i I 7 a 5 1% A; w

VV/T/VESSES not supported. After the UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHBISTIAAN ANTONIE RUDOLPH GRAAMANS, OF ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, AS-SIGNOR. TO SYNDIOAAT GRAAMAN S PATENT, 0F BOTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS.

eALvAmc CELL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18, 1920.

Application filed July 25, 1917. Serial lie-182,787.

ed to absorb the gases formed at the pole.

Among these cells, the cell of Leclanche and its modifications occupy avery promment position, and it is in particular to such-cells that theinvention is especially appllcabler The present invention primarilyconslsts in the provision of a cell which is simpler in construction andmore practical than the wellknown cells and in which the disadvantagesof the latter are avoided.

In the wet Leclanch' cells, the porous jar has been rendered superfluousby compressing a mixture of manganese dioxid with the carbon into oneself contained mass or 1 I of a cell according to the 1nvent1on.

block. In these cells the combined pole and depolarizing substance afterceasing to work properly have to be replaced by a new one, which adds tothe cost of the cell. to eliminate this disadvantage the use ofrenewable granular manganese dioxid in combination with a renewabledetachable rod was returned to, while porous ar' was replaced by a smalllinen bag tled up around the top end of the carbon rod. T hecell thusobtained is universally used notwithstandin the drawbacks connected withthe same.

These drawbacks consist in repeated fractures of the carbon rods duringtransport. Consequently considerable time and efi'ort is expended inpacking the cells, and this results in a considerable packing cost. Therods. must be fixed into the bags during transport 'and as a large partof the rods project from the latter the exposed parts are ags have beenfilled and tied up around the carbon rods the superfluous part of thebags. projecting be on'd the tying string is cut off whereby the carbonrodis used as a support. As the exposed portion of the rod isnotprotectedthe smooth hard surface of'the rod is damaged and in practiceit has been shown, that In order thereby the rod loses a considerablepart of its resistance, so that same becomes liable to getting broken.

The existing dry cells have the disadvantage that when ceasing to workthey are entirely valueless and must be thrown away, such cells besidesrequiring very careful packing.

In the cell according to the invention, not only the above mentioneddrawbacks have been eliminated, but the wet and dry cells tion arecomposed in principle of the same parts, so that in manufacturestandardization can be carried out to ,a much further extent than waspossible with the old cell constructions.

The principal feature of the cell according to the invention consists inthe provision of a simplified electrode with depolarizer, said electrodebeing adapted for use in wet as well as in dry cells.

Further features and characteristics of the invention may be describedhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the electrode comprises a carbon rod 1 tothe end of which a terminal 2 is'fittd. The carbon rod is of 1 circularcross section and is of the same shape as the :rods generally in use incells to which this invention. may be applied. Said rod is inserted intoa cylinder block 3, constructed of a compressed mixture of manganesedioxid with coke and coal as used in Leclanchs cells. As appears clearlyfrom Fig. 3 this block. is split into two; halves 4 and 5 along a planeplaced under an angle to the axis of said block. This peculiar way ofsplitting has for its object to simplify assembling of the parts. Thecyl- 65 constructed in accordance with the inveninder is inclosed in awrapper 6 of linen or some other suitable material. The parts of thecylinder may be wrapped into said material in the operative position, orthe wrapper may be made before-hand in the shape of a bag or sleeve intowhich the parts of the cylinder may be inserted. This last operation isexceedingly simplified by splitting the cylinder along a plane situatedunder an angle to the axes of the cylinder, as mentioned above. Besides,this latter construction results in a better electrical contact beingobtained between the parts of the block and the carbon rod, as will beclear from the further description.

The cylinder shape of block is the most appropriate, but the block maybe made of other shapes if desired.

The, bore in the block 3 is of approximately the same width as thethickness of the rod 1, so that the parts having been assembled, the rodfits slidable in the bore, making a good electrical contact with theblock material. In order to prevent dislocation of the parts 4 and 5 inthe direction of the axis end plates 7 and 8 are fitted to both ends ofthe block 3. These end plates which are ofinsulating material projectbeyond the periphery of thecylinder and are provided with dovetailedrecesses 9. They are most' conveniently drawn against the cylinder bymeans of a string or some other tieing material slung in a regular pitchon the circumference of the end plates through said recesses and tied upso as to drawthe end plates toward each other. This way of connectinghas the advantage that around the block a network is woven while, if theparts of which the block is composed are shaped in accordance with Fig.3, said parts are drawn tight around the rod. This construction isimproved by forming the recesses 9 so that their bases 11 lie within thecircumference of the block. Practice has shown that the best results anda regular and tight network are obtained with end plates having sevenrecesses 9 each. It is evident that the number of recesses can be yariedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention. The string may alsobe slungthrough the end plates so as to be tied up. in the direction ofthe axis of the block.

Preferably the end plates 7 and 8, are somewhat arched at the sideopposite the block, as illustrated by way of example in Figs. 6 and 7.This has the advantage that these end plates only bear on the peripheraledge of the block at the point where the strings exert force on saidplates, so "that the end plates cannot be subjected to bending andcannot break from this cause.

The end plates projecting beyond the cylinder periphery prevents saidblock from;

making contact with the wall of the jar or with any other article. Thewrapper 6 is conveniently kept somewhat longer than the length of theblock 3 so that it may embrace the ends of the block and be lockedbetween the end plates and the cylinder, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and6.

The great advantage presented by the electrode according to theinvention is the absence of any danger of breakage of the carbon rod,the latter being further adapted for repeated use so that if the blockceases to work properly it may be renewed without necessitating thereplacement of the carbon rod.

A very important advantage resides in the simplified method ofassembling the parts and the small space occupied by the electrodeduring transport, due to the fact that the carbon rod and the block maybe packed separately.

A wet Leclanch cell constructed in accordance with the features of thepresent invention may further be provided with one or two plates. of theshape as illustrated in Fig. 5. These plates 12 have a hole 13 for thezinc rod and in use are placed underneath and on top of the end plates 7and 8 respectively. If required these plates may also serve as endplates 7 and 8 to which end they must be provided with recesses 9 forthe strings.

'A cell according to the invention, constructed as adry cell, isillustrated in Fig. 6. This cell consists of an electrode entirelycorresponding to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4. Like characters indicatelike parts throughout the drawings. The electrode is surrounded by athick layer of electrolyte 14 mixed with sawdust, gypsum or some othersuitable material and is wrapped in a layer of paper, soaked withelectrolyte. In this layer of electrolyte the zinc electrode 15,preferably in the shape of a perforated cyl- 1nder,isinserted. T e wholeis surrounded by asleeve 16'of card-board or some other suitablematerial to which the bottorr. 17 and cover18 are fixed in anyappropriate manner. The plate 17 is imperforate, but the plate 18 isprovided with one'aperture for i the rod -1 'and another aperture forthe terminal 19 of the zinc electrode 15. The plate 18 may further beprovided with an opening for filling purposes, said opening normallybeinlg closed with a stopper as shown in Fig. 7 n the construction shownin Fig. 6 the aperture in the top plate 18 through which the carbon rodpasses is made larger than the rod. The latter passes through a stopper20, exactly fitting into the hole and closing the aperture. Theopeningclosed by said stopper 20 also permits electrolyte to be pouredinto the cell. The stopper 20 has a tight fit around the carbon rod andkeeps the latter in a central position at its upper end.

For fixing the carbon rod at its bottom end the lower plate 17 has acentral recess 21 into which the carbon rod fits.

Instead of using a stopper in the top platemay-be taken out and the cellis filled withelectrolyte before being connected up. This electrolytecan be renewed and refilled. Owing to its shape and the substantialconstruction it may be fixed within sight to a wall by means of clampsor straps.

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is I 1. In a galvanic cell, in combination, an electrodeconsisting of a carbon rod and a split depolarizing block having aboretherein for slidably receiving the rod, a wrapper enveloping the rodand the block, non-conducting strings for securing the wrapper to theblock and the rod, and insulating end plates covering both ends ofsai'dblock in order to hold the parts thereof together and to preventlongitudinal slipping of the same within the enveloping wrapper andstrings.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the arrangement is such thatthe parts of said split depolarizing block are wedgeshaped against oneanother so as to secure their electrical contact to the carbon rod bythe pressure exercised by the end plates in connection with the wrapperand strings. 3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end platesare split so that only the peripheral edges thereof will bear againstthe corresponding edges of the block.

4. A device as claimed in-claini 1 wherein the end plates are of alarger area than the sectional area of the block and are provided intheir outer edges with equally spaced recesses for receiving the stringsand making it possible for crossing the strings so that the strings willconstitute a net-work surroundin said block.

5. A evice'as claimed in claim 1 wherein I the end plates are of alarger area than the sectional area of the block and are provided intheir outer edges with equally spaced recesses for receiving the strin sand'making' it possible for crossing the strings so that the stringswill constitute a net-work surrounding said block, the recesses being ofsufiicient depth so that the strings exert a binding action on the outersurface of the block.

Ini witness whereof I have hereunto set my han GHBISTIAAN ANTONIE RUDOLFGRAAMANS. Witnesses H. 'Y. KoRY, PLANTE Farm.

